Creating and Connecting Panels

Model Reference Manual

Structural Design Using Catalogue Components : Creating and Connecting Panels

A Panel (PANE) element represents any sheet material used to clad a structural model. The geometry of a Panel is defined by a subsidiary Panel Loop (PLOO) element. The 2D shape of the Panel Loop is defined by linking together a set of Panel Vertex (PAVE) elements, each of which has a specific position in the Panel’s coordinate system. The polygon thus formed defines the shape of the Panel in the same way that a Profile defines the cross-sectional area of a Section. The Height (HEIG) attribute of the PLOO defines the distance through which this 2D shape is extruded to form the 3D Panel; that is, it defines the Panel thickness, thus:

Each PAVE can have an optional fillet radius which defines a circular arc which bulges into (negative radius) or out of (positive radius) the PLOO area. The default fillet radius of zero denotes a point.

To define a new Panel, the user must, therefore, first create a PANE element (using NEW PANE etc.), then create a PLOO below it in the hierarchy, and then create and position as many member PAVEs as necessary to define the shape of the PLOO and thus the PANE. (The Z co-ordinates of the PAVEs are ignored; they are constrained to lie in the plane of the PLOO.)